Did you know? On March 20, 1849, Felipe Baca and his wife Dolores were married in the Roman Catholic church in Taos, New Mexico. At the time, Felipe was 21 years old, and Dolores was 18.
Felipe frequently traveled to Denver and Santa Fe to sell his farm produce. In 1860, while transporting a load of flour, he discovered a fertile valley along the Purgatoire River. Upon returning home, he assessed the area’s potential for farming and livestock grazing. That fall, he relocated with his family to the valley, where they claimed a section of the lowlands and prepared to plant their first crops the following spring.
After harvesting their initial crops—primarily melons and grains—Felipe brought samples back to Taos, sparking interest among his neighbors. In 1862, twelve families from Taos journeyed through Raton Pass to join the Bacas in establishing the new settlement.
Settling in the center of the emerging town, Felipe emerged as a natural leader among the residents. In 1866, he partnered with William Hoehne to form the Trinidad Town Company and open the area’s first general store. That same year, the growing community gained a school and a Catholic church, both established on land and with funding donated by the Baca family.
Following the founding and development of Trinidad, Felipe entered territorial politics. In 1870, he was elected as a Republican representative to the Colorado Territorial Legislature, serving a two-year term.
He passed away on April 4, 1874, at age 46, in the town he had helped establish, Trinidad, and was laid to rest in the Trinidad Catholic Cemetery. In 1889, the Colorado state legislature honored him by creating Baca County, a 2,500-square-mile area in the state’s southeast corner, named after Trinidad’s founder.
In 1970, the adobe house where Felipe and Dolores lived was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Baca House and Outbuilding. It has operated as a museum ever since, preserving their legacy as part of the Trinidad History Museum.
This article was written by Colorado Welcome Center Trinidad and was posted on their Facebook page on March 20, 2026